Government of Canada supports the marketing efforts of the Quebec and Canadian maple syrup industry

Pierre Breton, Member of Parliament for Shefford and member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, today announced an investment totalling more than $1.2 million to help the maple syrup industry promote the properties and benefits of maple products on the domestic and international markets.

The projects announced today will enable the Government of Canada to meet two of its objectives: strengthening the Canadian agricultural sector through key investments in discovery science and innovation, and creating good jobs in food processing through key investments that add value to Canada's agricultural sector.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is investing $965,000 in projects by the Fédération des producteurs acéricoles du Québec (FPAQ) aimed at proving that maple sugar and maple syrup are superior-quality sweeteners and that maple products can carve out a place for themselves in the sports nutrition market.

The ACER Centre, which works with the research scientists of the AAFC Research and Development Centre in Saint-Hyacinthe, is receiving $269,000 to enhance the capabilities of the SpectrACER automated system, which is used to verify the authenticity, taste and flavour of maple syrup.

Quick facts

In 2015, Canada exported approximately $360 million in maple products. The FPAQ projects are part of the "New Generation of Maple: 2020" market development strategy, based on scientific research into the nutritional components of maple syrup.

SpectrACER is a clear breakthrough for the Canadian maple syrup industry, which needs to meet high quality and purity standards.

The AgriInnovation Program is a five-year, $698-million initiative under the Growing Forward 2 policy framework and is designed to accelerate the pace of innovation by supporting research and development activities in the agricultural sector.

Quotes

"The government is proud to support these projects, which will raise consumer awareness of the properties, benefits and qualities of maple products. This growing interest will generate more jobs and more revenue and bring major economic benefits to eastern Canada."

- Pierre Breton, Member of Parliament for Shefford and member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food

"Quebec maple syrup producers have constantly invested in research, and these projects will help us take maple products to the next level. We appreciate the financial support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The maple tree is the national symbol of Canada, and we are proud to do it credit."

"With SpectrACER, we can guarantee the quality of Canadian maple syrup. The financial support announced today is a strategic investment because it will strengthen our ability to make purity the distinguishing feature of our maple syrup on the international market and thus continue to offer the highest quality to consumers."